Nigel Slater's cool summer puddings

It isn't summer without fruit and cream. Glorious scarlet berries, glistening currants, juicy peaches and thick yellow cream. Whether it comes as a traditional bowl of fruit and Jersey cream or a rich trifle, vivid ice cream or cool cheesecake, the combination is an unmissable part of the British summer. Today we celebrate the marriage with a handful of fruity, creamy recipes for making the most of this season's favourite partners.

Peach and blackberry trifle

Fond as I am of the deep creamy mass that is the classic trifle, I rather like this unconstructed version where the sponge, syllabub and fruit are clearly visible rather than all mixed together. It is essential, I think, to make a real sponger here. A packet of sponge fingers won't do for this.

You will need a 20-22cm shallow, square cake tin. Line the base of the cake tin with a piece of baking parchment.

Set the oven at 180C/gas 4. Beat the butter and sugar in an electric mixer until white and fluffy. Grate the zest from the lemon and squeeze its juice. Mix the ground almonds and flour together.

Lightly beat the eggs and add them to the creamed butter and sugar mixture a little at a time, with the beater on slow. Turn the machine off and add the zest and a third of the almonds and flour, then turn the mixer on slow until the dry ingredients are incorporated. Add the second and then the third lot of almonds and flour, switching the machine off each time. If you add the flour too quickly you risk ending up with a heavy cake.

Lastly, mix in the lemon juice. Transfer the mixture to the lined cake tin, lightly smooth the surface and bake for 30-35 minutes until a metal skewer inserted into the thickest part of the cake comes out without any uncooked cake mixture attached. Remove the cake from its tin and leave to cool on a cooling rack.

Pour the wine into the bowl of an electric mixer, add the liqueur, then grate into it the zest of the lemon and orange. Squeeze the juice of the lemon and add it to the mixture. You won't need the orange juice, so drink it. Set aside this mixture for as long as you can. A couple of hours will be fine.

To continue: Pour the sugar into the wine mixture and beat gently with a whisk attachment, then pour in the cream and beat slowly until the syllabub starts to thicken. You need to keep an eye on things at this point; you should stop when the syllabub will lie in thick, soft folds, only just keeping its shape. Cover with cling- film and refrigerate until needed.

To assemble: Cut the cake into four squares then slice each square into two horizontally. Lay one square of cake in each of four shallow dishes (soup dishes or pasta bowls are fine) then divide the syllabub between them. Add slices of peaches, the berries and currants. Top with the remaining squares of cake, cut into triangles. Dust with icing sugar.

Strawberry yoghurt ripple

A light, bright flavoured ice for a hot summer day. I use commercially made smoothies for this (Innocent is my favourite brand), but you could make your own with natural yoghurt and a banana if you prefer.

Put a plastic freezer box in the deepfreeze to get really cold. Tip the smoothies into the bowl of an ice-cream maker and churn until almost frozen. While the mixture churns, whiz the strawberries to a purée in a food processor.

When the yoghurt is almost frozen, scoop it into the chilled freezer box. Pour in the strawberry purée and stir into the yoghurt to give a marbled effect. Don't be tempted to stir it more than three or four times; you want distinct ribbons of intense strawberry running through the yoghurt. Return the mixture to the freezer and leave until lightly frozen.

Raspberry 'tiramisu'

OK, this is about as much a tiramisu as I am, but the principle of booze-soaked sponge and mascarpone cream is the same. It may make your heart sink that it needs to be made the day before, but that is the only way to get the sponge and cream cheese layer to marry successfully. Rush it and you will be disappointed.

You will need an oval or rectangular dish approximately 35cm in diameter. Mix the wine and cassis. Dip the biscuits in this and lay them snugly in the dish. Pour over half of the remaining liquid. Scatter half of the raspberries over the sponges.

Beat the mascarpone, the egg yolks and the sugar together with a hand-held electric whisk. Rinse the beaters, dry them thoroughly then beat the egg whites till they are stiff and hold in firm peaks. Carefully fold the egg whites into the mascarpone mixture, breaking up any lumps of egg white as you go. Spread all over the infused sponge fingers.

Whip the cream, but only until it will sit in soft folds. If it will stand in peaks you have gone too far. Scatter over the remaining raspberries and cover tightly with kitchen film. Refrigerate overnight. The next day, scatter with rose petals should you wish, and serve.

A simple passion fruit cheesecake

There is little that can compete with the famous American-style cooked cheesecake, but the ultimate creamy cheesecake is the 'refrigerator' rather than 'oven' version. Despite sounding like something from the back of a packet this is actually a gorgeous, deep and infinitely sexy recipe. Though the appearance of passion fruit is unusual, it is necessary, so that the sharp fruit prevents the cake from cloying.

Melt the butter in a small pan. Crush the biscuits to fine crumbs and stir them into the melted butter. Tip them into a 22cm, loose-bottomed cake tin and smooth them flat. Refrigerate for an hour or so until firm. You can speed the process by putting them in the freezer if you wish.

Put the mascarpone and icing sugar in the bowl of a food mixer and beat smooth. Scrape out the seeds from the vanilla pod with the point of a knife and stir them into the mascarpone with crème fraiche.

Whip the cream until it will stand in soft folds, then stir it gently into the mascarpone mixture. Scrape the mixture into the cake tin and cover with kitchen film. Leave to chill for a good hour. To serve, remove the cake from the tin, cut the passion fruits in half and squeeze the seeds and juice over the cheesecake. Add a few sprigs of white currants, if you wish.

Rinse the berries and tip them into a dish, removing the strawberry hulls and currant stalks as you go. Drizzle a little cassis over the fruit and dust with a little sugar. Set aside for an hour or more and serve with cream.

(For 450g of mixed fruit you will need about three tablespoons of cassis and a tablespoon of sugar, but it is best to taste as you go, adding sugar and liqueur to taste depending on the mixture and sweetness of your fruit).

The wine list

Peach and blackberry trifleValdespino Solera 1842 Oloroso VS Sherry, £11.99 per half, Waitrose This is very rich, almost raisiny, but the dessert can handle it. Mature and toasty.

Cassis fruit saladProsecco, Loris Bonotto, £6.99, Marks & Spencer Prosecco is on the label, but this is reminiscent of a fresh, grapey Moscato.

About this article

Nigel Slater's cool summer puddings

This article appeared on p12 of the Observer Food Monthly section of the Observer
on Saturday 9 July 2005.
It was published on
the Guardian website
at 11.34 EDT on Sunday 10 July 2005.
It was last modified at 11.34 EST on Thursday 3 November 2005.
It was first published at 11.34 EST on Thursday 3 November 2005.